Arrived downstream of Coburn on Friday night after 7 pm. As I was suiting up I looked through the trees at the stream and saw one rise, then another, then a third. Fish were rising steadily. The first bug I saw was a caddis, so I tied one on and caught a nice 14 incher right away. I saw a few sulphurs so I tied on a CDC sulphur emerger. A good drift and fish on, a bigger fish. I pulled the fish to the middle of the stream three times, only to have the fish turn and go back to the far bank. Finally I got to land a chunky 18 inch brown, nice! I landed four, but I knew they were eating something else. It turns out there was a very good olive spinner fall that night.
Saturday I hit fly fishers paradise shop for some fly tying stuff. Asking about Penns, I got some advise to get a few olive spinners. Cornutas. Fished Penns again in the afternoon. Pre hatch I swung pheasant tail soft hackles to the spots I saw risers the night before, and I was into fish right away. Things picked up as the evening progressed and there were plenty of risers. I tied on the olive spinner and nailed a bunch of fish. Ended the day with 16 fish, mostly small, but very entertaining. Swarms of olives were seen in the early afternoon, slate drakes later, then sulphurs even later. I didn't notice a spinner fall that night, or many bugs on the water like Friday. Maybe they came off late or after dark?
Of particular interest was a very good bikini hatch in the afternoon, very pleasing to the eyes. I lost at least one fish because of the distraction. Most floaters were very polite, except for one idiot in a kayak who just had to paddle into the shade 50 feet below me and cause a ruckus just for fun.
Late Saturday afternoon I did something I haven't done in a long time. I was stepping over a slippery flat rock about the size of a dinner table and instead of going around the rock, I put my other foot on it. Whoosh I went for a quick swim in knee deep water. I got right back up, checked the camera and it survived. Went to the bank to empty about a quart of water out of my right leg and a small amount from the left. The water felt pretty good, and the damage was minimal. It could have been worse and everything dried out that night.
Sunday I fished the lower regulated stretch, there was not much happening until the sun got off the water. I found plenty of risers but they were extra-picky. Again I didn't see any spinner fall or bugs over the water late. I managed a few on sulphur emergers, though they were eating something in the film that I couldn't figure out. I need to get one of those bug nets to skim the water and see what was there.
All in all a great weekend, great weather and superb fishing, the best I've had on Penns. I was reading that the olive hatch was underrated, and now I know why.
Saturday I hit fly fishers paradise shop for some fly tying stuff. Asking about Penns, I got some advise to get a few olive spinners. Cornutas. Fished Penns again in the afternoon. Pre hatch I swung pheasant tail soft hackles to the spots I saw risers the night before, and I was into fish right away. Things picked up as the evening progressed and there were plenty of risers. I tied on the olive spinner and nailed a bunch of fish. Ended the day with 16 fish, mostly small, but very entertaining. Swarms of olives were seen in the early afternoon, slate drakes later, then sulphurs even later. I didn't notice a spinner fall that night, or many bugs on the water like Friday. Maybe they came off late or after dark?
Of particular interest was a very good bikini hatch in the afternoon, very pleasing to the eyes. I lost at least one fish because of the distraction. Most floaters were very polite, except for one idiot in a kayak who just had to paddle into the shade 50 feet below me and cause a ruckus just for fun.
Late Saturday afternoon I did something I haven't done in a long time. I was stepping over a slippery flat rock about the size of a dinner table and instead of going around the rock, I put my other foot on it. Whoosh I went for a quick swim in knee deep water. I got right back up, checked the camera and it survived. Went to the bank to empty about a quart of water out of my right leg and a small amount from the left. The water felt pretty good, and the damage was minimal. It could have been worse and everything dried out that night.
Sunday I fished the lower regulated stretch, there was not much happening until the sun got off the water. I found plenty of risers but they were extra-picky. Again I didn't see any spinner fall or bugs over the water late. I managed a few on sulphur emergers, though they were eating something in the film that I couldn't figure out. I need to get one of those bug nets to skim the water and see what was there.
All in all a great weekend, great weather and superb fishing, the best I've had on Penns. I was reading that the olive hatch was underrated, and now I know why.
